Split Persona
by Kyri
Summary: Schuldrich is musing about Crawford's weird behavior, wondering about weather his mask is really just that, or a life of its own.
1. Default Chapter

"Sometimes I think Crawford has a split personality."  
  
Schuldrich mused to himself, alone in his room. His thoughts continued as he ran his fingers through his long wild orange hair.  
  
"I mean, first, you have the all mighty stick shoved up his ass, cold, sadistic, leader, named Crawford…and then, buried somewhere underneath you have a soft, sensitive scared boy that Crawford once was, and now hides and protects. That's Brad. Everybody only sees Crawford and I'm pretty sure that's how he wants it. However, Brad does slip out from time to time, a look, a mannerism, mostly when one of us gets hurt or that split second when a vision hits him. Or when he's tired or just waking up. Heh, I guess Brad comes out more often then Crawford's comfortable with. I bet that's why he hates it when people call him Brad or Bradley 'cause deep down he feels he technically isn't."  
  
The tall German smirked at the thought.  
  
"Another difference between the two is that I belive that Brad would be cute. Unbearably Cute with a capital C, while Crawford is dangerous. I guess in sex terms, Crawfie is definitely seme. I mean, being so damn dominant and all…but I think Brad would actually be uke, maybe just for contrast…me? I don't mind either…mwhwha—~cough~  
  
He sighed and shook his head, those thoughts were giving him some very naughty ideas about the object of his observation.  
  
" Ahem, I wonder what happened to sepora---no, never mind, I think I can guess. Our whole life, the training, killing, and the games we play, that's what happened. That's what drove the two apart. Was Crawford just a mask that you've worn so long Brad that you've forgotten how to take it off? I know that you can. I've seen it. You know Crawford; I kinda wanna meet Brad someday, though I doubt very much that you'd let that happen, ne? I want to see past that front you put up and see –you-, not the mask I face every day."  
  
A crisp knock on the door interrupted Schuldrich's thoughts. He lightly scanned the hallway, grinning when the almost silence of the mind told him who it was. Crawford. Fun times have come again as it gave him a chance to play his favorite game, taunt the oracle, or as it was better known, annoy the American. ^^ Schuldrich got up, and opened the door, stretching his long languid limbs as he went.  
  
"Hey Braddy" he drawled, leaning on the doorframe, gazing at the ebony haired man in front of him. Crawford glared back from behind the protection of his ever-present glasses.  
  
"Don't call me that. Get down to the car, we have a mission." Was all that he said, spinning smartly on his heel and walking away. Fully confident that Schuldrich would follow. Which the telepath did at a much slower pace of course.  
  
"Misssioooooon?" he whined, "But Braddy!! Its Saturday night…what kinda mission would we have on the one night you'd think we should get off?"  
  
"The usual. Go in, kill target, get a disk…you know the drill." Came the reply as Crawford disappeared down the hallway to collect Nagi and Farfarello from they're respective haunts. 


	2. Corridors of the Mind

As Crawford had promised, it had been a routine mission, and that's just what Schuldrich had expected. The telepath had learned to listen carefully to what his leader said; the American often gave away hints of what was going to happen subconsciously.  
  
The telepath grinned; the American was nothing if predictable. After a mission, the man would always head into his office, a room locked off to his teammates always. No exceptions. Tonight was going to be the night. Schuldrich always expected that Crawford reminisced when he was alone, the proof lay in that his shields would always flicker slightly. He grinned. Thinking about the past always left a path to what you once were, and this time, he was going to find out exactly what he wanted to know.  
  
Tonight, Schuldrich, was going to meet Brad. Weather Crawford liked it or not.  
  
The red head settled down comfortably on his bed, he wanted to be comfortable for what could turn out to be a long haul. Slipping past any defense was hard, but it was going to be especially grueling considering the thickness of the shields that surrounded the enigma called Bradley Crawford.  
  
To a telepath, the mind has almost two layers of communication style. The first layer is basically just like talking on a telephone, all surface thoughts and only voices, the other, set deep down was more physical. And harder to get to. Corridors, a long, twisting hallway filled with doors, some locked, and some not, and an experienced telepath (i.e. Schuldrich) could walk through, looking for what he wanted. This, was what he was going to attempt.  
  
There, there was the telltale flutter of shields, minute, but there. Taking this opportunity, the German quickly pushed in, hoping that he was too fast to be noticed. No such luck. He had managed to get to the corridor level, but he saw Crawford storming angrily towards him. Meeping, he ran through the darkness, with sinister footsteps ringing out behind him.  
  
The chase was on, Schuldrich's mental self ran from Crawford's, taking random twists and turns, only sparing a few glances on some open doors. He came to a dead end.  
  
"Shit…" he swore looking around. Suddenly, an unnoticed door opened and a pale hand pulled him inside and shut just as Crawford's white suited representation stormed past.  
  
The winded German collapsed to his knees, gaining back his breath. Absently, he noted that the floors were hardwood, with white and blue braided rugs. A concerted voice came quietly from beside him.  
  
"Are you alright?" Schuldrich looked up and found himself locking gazes with soft, golden eyes, framed by unobtrusive round glasses. He instinctively knew that he had achieved his goal. He had found…  
  
"Brad?"  
  
The boy, no man nodded. Brad appeared to be around 19 or 20; he wore white, loose turtleneck sweater and black jeans.  
  
"Hello Schuldrich." His voice was still soft, naturally so, much less sharp or harsh then Crawford's was. Schuldrich smiled and stood up, brushing himself off. He looked around, the room seemed to be a one-room apartment, and the window opened to a slightly less then spectacular view of a city skyline, marred only by the Eiffel tower.  
  
"Jeez, I didn't know you lived in Paris." The red head said in wonder. There was a lot he didn't know. Brad nodded.  
  
"I moved here from America when I was 15…I …I always like it here." He said with a sad smile. "Please...sit… you must be a bit tired." Running his hands through slightly longish droopy black hair, he nodded towards a simple couch. "Why…are you here?" he asked curiously after they both had sat down. Schuldrich laughed.  
  
"I was curious, I've only seen you for a split second. I wanted to know, who you are, not just Crawford." Brad looked down, scuffing his feet against the floor slightly.  
  
"I'm not that important." he said with out looking up. Oh this was too cute, Schuldrich thought to himself, Braddykins is shy. He was going to have fun with this… 


	3. Conversations

Schuldrich laughed and looked at his compainion. "Of course your important, or else you wouldn't be here." He said, grinning at Brad. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. The telepath knew immediately that it was Crawford. Brad stood and grabbed the german and pushed him into a just appearing closet.  
  
He watched through the ajar door as the two mirror selves confronted each other. "man. its weird seeing them together." the red head thought to himself, then he turned his attention to what the other two were saying.  
  
"So your sure he isn't here." Crawford asked Brad as he stood in the door way. The younger version shook his head. "No. I haven't seen him." Brad answerd softly, looking down as he was unable to bare the hard gaze of his alter ego for very long. To Schuldrich's surprise, Crawfords features softend slightly as he reached out to place a hand on Brad's shoulder. "Alright, ill keep looking, just becareful, that pest is cunning and dangerous, ill see you later." With a snap, the older version closed the door with a snap and Schuldrich came to a startled realization, Crawford was protecting Brad, misguidedly, yes, because the telepath wasn't planning on anything cunning or dangerous, but protecting him none the less.  
  
The german came out of the closet and stepped over to Brad. "Hey kid." He beamed. Brad gave him a glare that was scarily like Crawfords, but more of a chibi glare. "Im not a kid." he complained. Schuldrich just chuckled and gave one of his infectious smiles and was gladdend to see it returned.  
  
"Its weird seeing you two together." Schuldrich commented as he once again took his place on the couch. Brad shook his head and joined him. "I guess. but." "but what?" "Crawford.Crawfords scary." Brad admitted in a whisper. "No duh Crawfiekins is scarey, thast what makes him our bad ass leader." "Um.. I don't think he'd like you calling him Crawfiekins." Brad said, stifling a giggle. "Of course, that's why I do it, but at least I have enough sence of self preservation not to say it too his face." Schuldrich said proudly. Brad just smiled and shook his head at that. "I should certainly hope so." He said.  
  
After a while, Schuldrich got up and faced Brad. "Look Brad, I gotta get going, or else the big bad wolfs gonna come back." He couldn't help but feel a little bad when he saw Brads face fall. "Whats wrong kid? " he asked. "I. I get pretty lonely, stuck in here all the time, I never get out for very long." Brad said sadly. The other man smiled and knelt down so he could face the still seated one. "Hey, don't worry, ill come back and visit. Once ive been in one time, it's simpler to get in again." He said with a smile. Brad looked up happily. "You will?" "Yup. Ill see you later Braddy." He smirked over his shoulder as he walked out, but he turned his head too soon to see poor Brad wave good bye. 


End file.
